Public health officials explain the importance of the influenza vaccine and what to do if you get sick. Q. Should I get vaccinated? A. Short answer: yes. Everyone older than 6 months should get a flu shot. And there are a variety of reasons. There are three strains covered by the vaccine (some include a fourth). So this year’s vaccine is still very effective against the strains included, and somewhat effective against the drifted strain. “Even though it’s not a perfect match, it still might reduce the severity of it” Panhandle Health District’s David Hylsky said, and could protect a sick individual enough to keep her out of the hospital, and even from dying. Plus, it’s still too early to know if the drifted H3N2 virus will continue to dominate/Kimberly Lusk, SR. More here.